At the present, there are mainly two kinds of ignition mechanisms for lighters: piezoelectric ignition mechanism and flint ignition mechanism. Electronic lighters that utilize a piezoelectric ignition mechanism have the advantage that its usage does not get one's hands smeared, and that the operation is simple. Therefore, although electronic lighters are relatively more expensive, many consumers are still more willing to purchase them. However, lighters that utilize a flint ignition mechanism still occupy a significant portion of both the international and domestic markets due to their high reliability, high rate of ignition, not being affected by the surrounding weather conditions, and so on. A remaining problem for lighter manufacturers all over the world is how to realize the advantages of flint ignition mechanisms through modification of conventional ways of flint ignition to make it simpler and more sanitary with only minimal increase in production costs—especially challenging is how to standardize parts for a flint ignition mechanism in a fashion that is similar to what has been achieved with regard to the piezoelectric ignition mechanism.
Chinese Patent No. 200910226804.2 discloses a lighter that includes a housing, a frame, a wind shield, an outlet needle, a lever, an ignition wheel assembly, a flint, a button, a gear block, and a reset spring, where the ignition wheel assembly comprises a rotating axle, an ignition wheel, a drive tab and a side wheel, and the ignition wheel, the drive tab and the side wheel are all threaded over the rotating axle. The drive tab is provided in between the ignition wheel and the side wheel; the drive tab, the ignition wheel and the rotating axle cooperate to relay the motion; the side wheel and the rotating axle cooperate to relay the motion. The side of the side wheel that faces the drive tab is equipped with a plurality of coupling teeth about its axial aperture; these plurality of coupling teeth are arranged in circles about the axial aperture, each coupling tooth provided with a hooking face and a slope. The disadvantages of this patent are: the operator needs to press the button at a certain speed to ignite, which is not easy; the lighter has a complex structure and requires too high a level of precision on the parts, which raises the manufacturing cost.
Chinese Patent No. 97226690.9 discloses a gaseous fuel lighter, which includes a sealed oil tank, an outlet device, and an ignition device that relies on frictional interactions between a steel wheel and a flint for spark generation. The steel wheel is driven by a connecting rod actuated by a button; the connecting rod in turn drives the steel wheel cover and a pawl; in the end, the pawl toggles a ratchet and the steel wheel to turn. Additional accessories include a linking spring underneath the button, a reset spring, guideposts for the connecting rod, and an elastic slider. This plan is also overly complicated with complex accessories, and the degree of precision required of the accessories is too high for mass production.
Chinese Patent No. 95243330.3 discloses a vertical pressing ignition device that uses a steel wheel, which includes a seat frame, a steel wheel, and a flint. On the seat frame, there is an actuation apparatus that includes a button, a pressurized spring, a return spring, a rotating rod, and a pressurizing buckle; the steel wheel is equipped with a steel wheel cover. This plan is also overly complicated, the degree of precision required of the accessories too high, which makes the actual implementation very difficult and highly unstable.
Therefore, the industry needs to solve the problem of how to provide the kind of push-button type flint ignition lighter that truly takes advantages of flint ignition mechanisms' superior tactile feel, simple construction, low cost, cleanliness and good sanitation, and indeed its ability to be put to actual mass production.